Al Jazeera ordered off Egyptian satellite

Nilesat has been ordered to cease transmissions of the local Egyptian version of Al Jazeera. The problem is that Nilesat doesn’t carry the signals of Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr.

Egypt’s Administrative Court had ordered the signals to be taken down on September 2nd citing that Al Jazeera was harming Egypt’s national security, and was part of an “international conspiracy that aims to divide the nation.” Egypt has been squabbling with Al Jazeera for some time, arguing that the Qatari-backed news channel has been backing the former Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood government.

However, the signals that are reaching Egypt are being carried not by Nilesat but by Paris-based Eutelsat which has a pair of satellites orbiting alongside Nilesat’s two satellites.